Shirt packaging and tagging method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

A shirt packaging and tagging method and apparatus wherein shirts are inserted into thermoplastic bags and passed down an incline to a bag sealing and tagging station. The open end of the bag is sealed, a ticket is applied to the outside surface of the bag, and the shirt is then allowed to continue its movement down the incline from the sealing and tagging station.

Umted States Patent [151 3,685,245 Frost [45] Aug. 22, 1972 [54] SHIRT PACKAGING AND TAGGING 3,194,710 7/1965 Stremke et a1 156/360 METHOD AND APPARATUS 2,591,935 4/1952 Heigl ..53/ 131 X Inventor: w w Frost Vidalia, Ga. HfiI'Sh et al X [73] Assignee: Oxford Industries, Inc., Atlanta, Ga. primary E '[h E Condo" 221 Filed: Sept 14 970 Assistant ExaminerNeil Abrams [211 App} NO 72 082 Attorney-Jones & Thomas [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. ..53/l45,35/?$/7734,15536153676 A. Shirt packaging d t g i ethod and apparatus wherein shirts are inserted into thermoplastic bags and 51/14 passed down an incline to a bag sealing and tagging r station. The'open end of the bag is sealed, a ticket is References Cited applied to the outside surface of the bag, and the shirt is then allowed to continue its movement down the UNITED STATES PATENTS incline from the sealing and tagging station. 3,449,887 6/1969 Abramson ..53/373 X 6 Clains, 4 Drawing Figures |5 4 li k H o a H o a o PATENTEmuszz I972 SHEET 1 OF 2 F IGI PATENTEDA B 1912 3,685,245

SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTORI WADE w. FROST BY W4 m ATTORNEYS SHIRT PACKAGING AND TAGGING METHOD AND APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the process of packaging, transporting, stocking and the ultimate selling of garments such as mens shirts and the like, it is desirable and has become common practice to place a transparent package about each shirt to protect each shirt from becoming soiled or damaged. The transparent package allows the shirt to be observed by the retailer and ultimate purchaser. It is also desirable to apply a ticket or tag to the outside surface of the shirt bag for identification and accounting purposes. The tickets applied to the packaged shirt should be securely attached to the package and most desirably should be applied at a set or predetermined position on the package so that the ticket of each package can be expediently located and so that the appearance of the packaged shirt is neat and all the packaged shirts are of uniform appearance. Also, the tickets applied to the packaged shirts should not be damaged when they are being applied to the packages, and the location of the tickets on the packages should be such that they will not be inadvertently removed or damaged prior to the sale of the shirt.

In the past, tags or tickets have been applied primarily by-hand to packaged shirts. While various mechanical devices have been developed for applying adhesive to the tickets, the actual application of the tickets to the packaged garments has customarily been performed by a worker who retrieves a glued ticket from an automatic dispenser and presses it against the packaged shirt and transfers the completed package to a shelf, box or storage area for further handling or shipment. In the manual application of the tickets to the packaged shirts the tickets are applied at random locations on the packages, causing the packages to be of non-uniform appearance, and the tickets are frequently damaged or lost because of the location on the package in which they are applied. Also, the manual application of tickets to packaged shirts is expensive since it requires the constant attention and presence of a worker to perform the function and the function is not reliably performed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the present invention comprises a shirt packaging and tagging method and apparatus wherein shirts are packaged in a transparent wrapper and tags or tickets are automatically applied to the packaged shirts in a reliable and uniform manner. Each shirt is inserted into a thermoplastic bag, the shirt is passed down an incline where it is received at a sealing and tagging station with the open end of the bag extending in an upward direction, a heat sealing device is clamped against the bag at its open end to seal the package and a ticket is applied to the exterior surface of the package. The shirts are received in a standardized or predetermined position at the sealing station, and the tickets are applied to the package as the package is held in its predetermined position so that each ticket is applied in the proper attitude and location on the package.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a shirt packaging and tagging method and apparatus which automatically packages and tags shirts in a uniform manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for applying tickets to shirts as the shirts are enclosed in a transparent package.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive and expedient process for packaging and tagging shirts or the like. 1

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification when taken into conjunction with 0 the accompanying drawing. 1

' BRIEFDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a progressive schematic illustration of the process of packaging and tagging shirts.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of the shirt packaging and tagging apparatus.

FIG. 2a is a perspective view of the ticket holder.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the control system of the shirt tagging apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now in more detail to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows the basic procedural steps in packaging and tagging shirts, wherein a transparent bag 9 is inserted about the smaller expandable end of an expandable funnel member 10, and a shirt or similar garment 11 is passed through the funnel member 10 from its larger end. The funnel member 10 expands to accommodate the passage of shirt 11, and when the shirt passes from the small end of the funnel member, the shirt will have been inserted into the open end of bag 9. The material utilized as the bagging material is a thermoplastic such as polyolefin, particularly polyethylene, polyprophylene, polyvinylacetate or polyvinylchloride. The open end 12 of the bagis then heat sealed at 14 so that the package is completed and the shirt is completely enclosed within the transparent wrapper. As the package is heat sealed, a tag or ticket 15 is applied to the outside surface of the package in a predetermined attitude and position on the package. The ticket has an adhesive applied to its bottom surface, and the adhesive functions to reliably connect the ticket to the shirt package. The shirt package is heat sealed and the ticket I5 is applied to the shirt package by automatic mechanical means, as will be described hereinafter, so that the placement of the ticket and the sealing of the package is uniform for each shirt.

As is illustrated in FIG. 2 the shirt packaging and tagging apparatus l8 comprises a packaging apparatus 19 positioned adjacent a work table 20, a tagging apparatus 21 positioned generally above packaging apparatus 19, conveyor 22 and ticket dispenser 23. Funnel member 10 is connected to work table 20, and a supply of shirts is maintained at the work table by the means of portable storage shelves 24.

Packaging apparatus 19 includes support framework 25 which supports a downwardly inclined surface or slide 26 which extends in a downward direction from the end 27 of work table 20 toward the lower portion or receiving end of upwardly inclined belt conveyor 22. Slide 26 includes base or bottom wall 28 having upwardly extending side walls 29 and 30 on each side thereof and heat sealer slot 31. Pin openings 32 and 33 are defined in the bottom wall 28 of slide 26 near the lower end of the slide, and a pair of retractable stop pins 34 and normally protrude in an upward direction through openings 32 and 33. The area of slide 26 between stop pins 34 and 35 and slot 31 generally comprises a shirt receiving area or bag sealing and tagging station 36.

Heat sealer 38 comprises heat sealing element 39 positioned above slide 26 and which is movable into slot 31 of the slide into engagement with a mating heat sealing element 40 positioned below bottom wall 28 of the slide. Upper sealing element 39 is movably supported by movable support legs 41 and 42 which are each rigidly connected at one end to heat sealing element 39 and are pivotally connected at their other ends to upwardly extending rigid support legs 43 and 44. Drive yoke 45 includes upwardly extending connecting legs 46 and 47 connected at their upper ends to movable support legs 41 and 42 and connected together at their lower ends by brace 48. Pneumatic ram 50 is connected at one of its ends to support framework 25 at the other of its ends to brace 48 and functions to reciprocate drive yoke 46, which in turn causes upper heat sealing element 39 of heat sealer 38 to move toward and away from lower heat sealing element 40 at the bottom wall 28 of slide 26.

Wand or actuating rod 51 extends through wand opening 52 near the lower end of slide 26 at a position spaced up the incline from the stop pins 34 and 35, and the lower or hidden end of the wand is connected to a micro switch (not shown) which controls the flow of air to ram 50 and the withdrawal of stop pins 34 and 35 by means of a conventional solenoid valve (also not shown). Thus, when a shirt is passed down slide 26, it engages wand 51 just prior to being stopped in its downward movement by stop pins 34 and 35, whereupon heat sealer 38 moves into slot 31 to seal the open end of the bag surrounding the shirt, heat sealer 38 is retracted, stop pins 35 are retracted and the shirt is allowed to continue its movement down slide 26 toward conveyor 22.

Tagging apparatus 21 comprises a support arm pivotally supported at one of its ends on framework 61 bymeans of bearing blocks 62. The movable end 64 of support arm 60 comprises a hinge yoke, and transfer arm 65 is pivotally connected at one of its ends to the hinge yoke. The other end of transfer arm 65 is movable in a lateral direction with respect to support arm 60.

Ticket holder 66 is rotatably connected to the outer end of transfer arm shank (not and is movable with respect to transfer arm 65 and support arm 60 from an upright position as illustrated in FIG. 2 to an inclined position which generally corresponds to the slope or incline of slide 26. The end of transfer arm 65 terminates in a boss or circular bearing 68 and ticket holder 66 includes a bifurcated support arm 69 which extends laterally of transfer arm 65 and which is rotatable along its length by means of its shank (not shown) being rotatably received in boss 68.

Bifurcated support arm 69 turns upwardly at its end opposite from boss 68, and locking cam 70 is pivotally connected at its upper end to the upper end of the support arm structure. Locking cam 70 includes can surface 71 at its upper end above its pivot pin and locking or cam surface 72 at its lower end. Sloped support arm 73 is rigidly connected at its lower end to bifurcated support arm 69, and its upper end terminates generally above and slightly behind locking cam 70. Locking jaw 74 is generally L-shaped and its upwardly extending leg 75 is pivotally connected at its upper end to sloped support arm 73 while its laterally extending leg 76 is movable beneath locking cam 70 toward and away from engagement with locking surface 72. When locking jaw 74 pivots toward locking cam 70, the leading edge of the upwardly extending leg 75. engages cam surface 71 of locking cam 70 to pivot the locking cam so that its locking surface 72 moves toward engagement with the upper edge of laterally extending lower leg 76 of locking jaw 74, to grip ticket l5. Coil tension spring 77 extends between the upper end of sloped support arm 73 and the upper forward end of locking cams 70 so that the locking surface 72 of locking cam 70 is usually pivoted away from locking jaw 74 when the locking jaw 74 is retracted. Pneumatic grasping ram 79 is supported from bifurcated support arm 69, and its ram rod 80 is connected to locking jaw 74 and functions to pivot locking jaw 74 toward and away from locking cam 70.

Support arm 60 is movable in a generally vertical arc under the influence of support arm ram 81, transfer arm 65 is movable laterally with respect to support 60 under the influence of transfer arm ram 82, and ticket holder 66 is rotatable on its axis in boss 68 on transfer arm 65 under the influence of the tilting ram 84. Rams 81, 82 and 84 are double acting pneumatic rams, while ram 79 is a single acting ram with an internal compression spring (not shown) being utilized to retract the ram rod.

Actuating ram 85 is connected to framework 61 of tagging apparatus 21 and is operative from the same air pressure source as ram 50 of packaging'apparatus 19. Micro switch 86 is positioned at the end of actuating ram 85 and ram rod 88 of actuating ram 85 functions to open and close switch 86 upon each cycle of actuating ram 85 and ram 50 of packaging apparatus 19.

Switch 86 of actuating ram 85 is connected to electric motor 89, and electric motor 89 functions to drive a series of control cams 90 on a common axle. Cams 91, 92, 93, 94 and 95 function to control the opening and closing of switch 96, and valves 97, 98, 99, and respectively. Valves 97-100 are connected to header 101 which is connected to a source of air pressure (FIG. 3), and the conduits from valves 97-100 are connected to rams 81, 82, 84, and 79 of tagging apparatus 21.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 3, actuating ram 85 closes switch 86 to energize motor 89. Motor 89 functions to rotate cams 91, 92, 93, 94 and 95 in unison on a common drive shaft, and cam 91 actuates micro switch 96 to create a holding circuit to motor 89, so that motor 89 will continue to operate after ram rod 88 of actuating ram 85 has retracted. After the drive shaft of the cams has rotated through a complete revolution, the recess in cam 91 will open the holding circuit through switch 96 to stop motor 89.

As cams 91-95 are rotated by motor 89, cam 95 engages its four-way valve 100 to shift the valve from the position as illustrated in FIG. 3 so that the air pressure from manifold 101 communicates with the forward end of transfer arm ram 82 to retract its ram rod and cause transfer arm 55 to move in a lateral arc toward ticket dispenser 23 where ticket holder 66 is ready to grasp a ticket 15.

Ticket dispenser 23 is of conventional construction and functions automatically to apply glue to the lower surface of the lowermost ticket in a vertical stack of tickets and project the glued ticket to a ready position where it can be grasped by hand or mechanical means. As ticket holder 66 reaches ticket dispenser 23, cam 92 functions to shift its valves 97 from the position indicated in FIG. 3 so that the air pressure from manifold 101 functions to extend the ram rod of grasping ram 79, which causes cam 71 of jaw 70 to grasp the glued projected ticket from ticket dispenser 23.

After the ticket has been grasped, cam 95 shifts its valve 100 back to the position as illustrated in FIG. 3 so that the air pressure to transfer arm ram 82 is reversed, causing the ram rod of transfer arm ram 82 to extend and move transfer arm 65 back to a position where it is generally coextensive with the support arm 60.

After transfer arm 65 has been moved back into alignment with support arm 60, cam 93 functions to shift its valve 98 from the position illustrated in FIG. 3 so that the air pressure from manifold 101 causes the ram rod of support arm ram 81 to retract and move support arm 60 in a downward arc.

As support arm 60 moves in a downward direction, cam 94 shifts its valve 99 from the position illustrated so that the pressure from manifold 101 causes the ram rod of tilting ram member 84 to retract and tilt ticket holder 66 from the upright position illustrated in FIG. 2 to an inclined position that corresponds to theslope or incline of slide 26.

When ticket holder 66 moves down into engagement with a packaged shirt, the glued ticket will make contact with the outside surface of the package and adhere to the package. After the ticket has been applied to the shirt package, cam 92 moves its valve 97 back to the position illustrated in FIG. 3, so that the compression spring of grasping ram 79 causes the cam 71 of ticket holder 66 to release the ticket.

Cam 93 then shifts its valve 98 back to the position illustrated in FIG. 3 so that the air pressure from manifold 101 extends the ram rod of support arm ram 81 to lift support arm 60 to its raised position.

After the support arm 60 has been raised, cam 94 shifts its valve 99 back to the position indicated in FIG. 3 so that the air pressure from manifold 101 extends the ram rod of tilting ram 84, to reposition ticket holder 66 in an upright attitude.

After ticket holder 66 has been shifted back to an upright attitude, all of the cams 91-95 will have been rotated approximately 360 whereupon cam 91 opens its switch 96 which breaks the circuit made to motor 89 and terminates the rotation of the cam and stops the operation of tagging apparatus 21. Of course, the sequence is started when actuating ram 85 is energized along with ram 50 of packaging apparatus 19. Thus, tagging apparatus functions in response to the movement of heat sealer 38 of packaging apparatus 19. Since packaging apparatus 19 functions in response to the movement of a shirt to the bag sealing and tagging area of slide 26, the tickets will always be applied to the same location of each packaged shirt.

When packaging apparatus 19 releases a packaged shirt from slide 26, the shirt will continue down the slope or incline of the slide and fall to the lower end of conveyor 22, and conveyor 22 functions to lift the shirts to a mobile container so that a worker can roll a filled container to a boxing area, etc.

While this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinbefore and as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for packaging shirts or the like in ther? moplastic bags comprising a downwardly inclined surface for the sequential passage of bagged shirts, shirt stop means positioned in the path of shirts moving down the incline of said inclined surface to stop the movement of each shirt down said inclined surface, heat sealing means movable toward and away from said inclined surface at a position spaced up said inclined surface from said shirt stop means for sealing each bag at its open end about a shirt, control means responsive to the movement of a shirt down the incline of said surface to sequentially move said heat sealing means toward said inclined surface and remove said shirt stop means from the path of shirts down the incline of said surface, and a ticket applicator responsive to said control means for applying a ticket to the bag of each shirt as each shirt is topped by said shirt stop means comprising a support arm pivotal about one of its ends in a generally vertical plane toward and away from said downwardly inclined surface, a transfer arm pivotally connected at one of its ends to said support arm and movable in a lateral direction from a position generally over said inclined surface to a position beside said inclined surface, and a ticket holder connected to said transfer arm and movable with respect to said transfer arm between a generally upright position when said support arm is in its raised position and a generally inclined position corresponding to the incline of said inclined surface when said support arm is in its lowered position.

2. A method of packaging shirts or the like comprismg:

inserting a shirt into the open end of a thermoplastic bag, moving the shirt and bag to a downwardly inclined slide with the open end of the bag facing up the slide and allowing the shirt and bag to move under the influence of gravity down the slide, stopping and holding the shirt and bag in a downwardly inclined attitude at a predetermined position along the slide, heating the thermoplastic bag at its open end to close the bag about the shirt while the shirt and bag are held in the downwardly inclined attitude at the predetermined position along the slide, retrieving a ticket in a horizontal plane from a supply of tickets, reorienting the ticket to a plane approximately parallel to the inclined attitude, pressing the ticket against the thermoplastic bag at a predetermined position on the bag while the shirt and. bag are held in the downwardly inclined attitude at the predetermined position along the slide, and

releasing the shirt and bag to allow the shirt and bag to continue to move under the influence of gravity down the slide. a 3. The method of claim 2 and wherein the step of retrieving a ticket comprises applying an adhesive to the bottom surface of the bottom ticket in an upright stack of tickets, and pulling the bottom ticket from the stack of tickets.

- 4. Apparatus for packaging shirts or the like comprising in combination, a downwardly inclined surface for receiving bagged shirts or the like, retractable stop means positioned along said downwardly inclined surface for temporarily stopping the movement of the bagged shirts down said surface, means for closing the open ends of the bags after the bagged shirts have moved down the inclined surface under the influence of gravity and are stopped by said stop means, and a ticket applicator for applying tickets to the bags while the bagged shirts are stopped by said stop means comprising a support arm pivotal about one of its ends in a generally vertical plane and positioned above said inclined surface, a support arm ram member connected to said support arm for pivoting the other end of said support arm between raised and lowered positions, a transfer arm pivotally connected at one of its ends to the other end of said support arm and movable in a lateral direction-with respect to said support arm, a transfer arm ram member connected between said transfer arm and said support arm for pivoting said transfer arm from a position generally coextensive with said support arm to an angled position with. respect to said support arm, a ticket holder connected to the other end of said transfer arm, and a tilting ram member connected between said ticket holder and said transfer arm for tilting said ticket holder with respect to said transfer arm between an upright position when said support arm is in its raised'position to an inclined position corresponding to the angle of incline of said downwardly inclined surface when said support arm is in its lowered position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 and wherein said ticket holder includes ticket grasping means, and-a grasping ram member supported by said ticket holder and arranged to actuate said ticket grasping means.

6. Apparatus for packaging shirts or the like in thermoplastic bags comprising:

a downwardly inclined slide for the sequential passage therealong of bagged shirts moving under the influence of gravity,

shirt stop means normally positioned in the path of the shirts along the incline of said slide to stop the movement of each shirt down said inclined slide,

heat sealing means movable toward and away from each shirt is stopped by said shirt stop means, said ticket a plicator comprisin means for retrievintgla ticket rom a honzontal p ane and orienting e ticket to an incline approximately corresponding to the incline of said slide and for placing the ticket in generally flat abutment against the bag of each shirt. 

1. Apparatus for packaging shirts or the like in thermoplastic bags comprising a downwardly inclined surface for the sequential passage of bagged shirts, shirt stop means positioned in the path of shirts moving down the incline of said inclined surface to stop the movement of each shirt down said inclined surface, heat sealing means movable toward and away from said inclined surface at a position spaced up said inclined surface from said shirt stop means for sealing each bag at its open end about a shirt, control means responsive to the movement of a shirt down the incline of said surface to sequentially move said heat sealing means toward said inclined surface and remove said shirt stop means from the path of shirts down the incline of said surface, and a ticket applicator responsive to said control means for applying a ticket to the bag of each shirt as each shirt is stopped by said shirt stop means comprising a support arm pivotal about one of its ends in a generally vertical plane toward and away from said downwardly inclined surface, a transfer arm pivotally connected at one of its ends to said support arm and movable in a lateral direction from a position generally over said inclined surface to a position beside said inclined surface, and a ticket holder connected to said transfer arm and movable with respect to said transfer arm between a generally upright position when said support arm is in its raised position and a generally inclined position corresponding to the incline of said inclined surface when said support arm is in its lowered position.
 2. A method of packaging shirts or the like comprising: inserting a shirt into the open end of a thermoplastic bag, moving the shirt and bag to a downwardly inclined slide with the open end of the bag facing up the slide and allowing the shirt and bag to move under the influence of gravity down the slide, stopping and holding the shirt and bag in a downwardly inclined attitude at a predetermined position along the slide, heating the thermoplastic bag at its open end to close the bag about the shirt while the shirt and bag are held in the downwardly inclined attitude at the predetermined position along the slide, retrieving a ticket in a horizontal plane from a supply of tickets, reorienting the ticket to a plane approximately parallel to the inclined attitude, pressing the ticket against the thermoplastic bag at a predetermined position on the bag while the shirt and bag are held in the downwardly inclined attitude at the predetermined position along the slide, and releasing the shirt and bag to allow the shirt and bag to continue to move under the influence of gravity down the slide.
 3. The method of claim 2 and wherein the step of retrieving a ticket comprises applying an adhesive to the bottom surface of the bottom ticket in an upright stack of tickets, and pulling the bottom ticket from the stack of tickets.
 4. Apparatus for packaging shirts or the like comprising in combination, a downwardly inclined surface for receiving bagged shirts or the like, retractable stop means positioned along said downwardly inclined surface for temporarily stopping the movement of the bagged shirts down said surface, means for closing the open ends of the bags after the bagged shirts have moved down the inclined surface under the influence of gravity and are stopped by said stop means, and a ticket applicator for applying tickets to the bags while the bagged shirts are stopped by said stop means comprising a support arm pivotal about one of its ends in a generally vertical plane and positioned above said inclined surface, a support arm ram member connected to said support arm for pivoting the other end of said support arm between raised and lowered positions, a transfer arm pivotally connected at one of its ends to the other end of said support arm and movable in a lateral direction with respect to said support arm, a transfer arm ram member connected between said transfer arm and said support arm for pivoting said transfer arm from a position generally coextensive with said support arm to an angled position with respect to said support arm, a ticket holder connected to the other end of said transfer arm, and a tilting ram member connected between said ticket holder and said transfer arm for tilting said ticket holder with respect to said transfer arm between an upright position when said support arm is in its raised position to an inclined position corresponding to the angle of incline of said downwardly inclined surface when said support arm is in its lowered position.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 and wherein said ticket holder includes ticket grasping means, and a grasping ram member supported by said ticket holder and arranged to actuate said ticket grasping means.
 6. Apparatus for packaging shirts or the like in thermoplastic bags comprising: a downwardly inclined slide for the sequential passage therealong of bagged shirts moving under the influence of gravity, shirt stop means normally positioned in the path of the shirts along the incline of said slide to stop the movement of each shirt down said inclined slide, heat sealing means movable toward and away from said inclined slide at a position spaced up said inclined slide from said shirt stop means for sealing each bag at its open end about a shirt, control means responsive to the movement of a shirt down the incline of said slide to sequentially move said heat sealing means toward said inclined slide and remove said shirt stop means from the path of shirts down the incline of said slide, and a ticket applicator responsive to said control means for applying a ticket to the bag of each shirt when each shirt is stopped by said shirt stop means, said ticket applicator comprising means for retrieving a ticket from a horizontal plane and orienting the ticket to an incline approximately corresponding to the incline of said slide and for placing the ticket in generally flat abutment against the bag of eacH shirt. 